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		B.D. and Mark seem to have a strained relationship. The source of this conflict must be way back, since I have no recollection of the two having issues. When did it happen? What was its root? -- Mike Irwin, Sequim, WA

		Football hero B.D. and campus radical Mark banged heads from the start, different by nature and in principle. Though they met in the Walden dorms and went on to become habitues of Walden Commune, their interactions during the first five years of the strip were only occasional -- and usually confrontational. Here's a look back.

		B.D. and Mark seem to have a strained relationship. The source of this conflict must be way back, since I have no recollection of the two having issues. When did it happen? What was its root? -- Mike Irwin, Sequim, WA

		Football hero B.D. and campus radical Mark banged heads from the start, different by nature and in principle. Though they met in the Walden dorms and went on to become habitu�s of Walden Commune, their interactions during the first five years of the strip were only occasional -- and usually confrontational. Here�s a look back.

		In the Flashbacks section I recently saw a week of 1973 strips about a young, blond just-returned Vietnam POW who comes to Walden. Wikipedia informs me that this was about the time when young Lt. Cmdr. John McCain got back from his long stay at the Hanoi Hilton. Was the POW character modeled specifically on him? -- Carl R. Schilt, North Bonneville, WA

		No, but we appreciate your asking the question. It provides us an excellent opportunity to post these strips about former-POW Skip Willis. Enjoy!

		I have a vague memory of Roland Hedley reporting from Afghanistan at some point. Did that actually happen, or did I imagine it? If so, when was it? Thanks. -- Bob C., Portland, OR

		Indeed. In the summer of 1980, seven months after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Roland abandoned the abundant epaulets of his traditional reporter garb and donned more colorful attire in order to report from near the front lines. As this series of strips shows, his highlight reel is the richer for it. Roland's gambit echoed that of Dan Rather, who reported from inside Afghanistan while wearing traditional Mujahadeen garments and headdress -- winning him the nickname "Gunga Dan".

		In the 2/22/08 strip Mark refers to his "imaginary boyfriend". Is there something about Chase that I've misunderstood all these years? -- Kevin Billinghurst, Vaxholm, SWEDEN

		In recent exchanges with B.D., Mark has referenced an off-stage boyfriend who, mysteriously, has yet to surface. As to Chase, it sounds like you missed the strips which chronicled Mark and Chase's messy breakup. We're happy to bring you up to speed by providing this link.

		Did Zonker Harris ever officially graduate from Walden College? If so, what major did he accumulate enough credits in? -- James Falk, New York, NY

		Zonke's extended career as an undergraduate -- which he referred to as "the best nine years of my life" -- ended unexpectedly when the budding tannist was forced, against his will, to accept a degree. As dramatized in the 1983 Broadway show Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy, Zonker's big moment brought two revelations: that his first name is "Edgar", and that he had no idea what his major was.

		How'd Joanie and Rick get together? Was courtship involved? -- Joshua Eliason, ISRAEL

		Berkeley law student Joanie Caucus was working on roommate Ginny Slade's Congressional campaign when Rick Redfern journeyed west to cover it for the Washington Post. Courtship indeed ensued, though Rick was unaware of it at the time. The denouement of this three-week series chronicling their coming-together was dropped by 30 papers, leading M.I.T. students to picket the Boston Globe.

		In a recent Flashback strip, Joanie's first husband, Clinton, plays a tape recording from their "youngest daughter". What happened to this other daughter? Does J.J. have a sibling we don't know about? -- Frank Light, Cincinnati, OH

		You have come across one of the few anomalies in the structure of the Doonesbury universe. Evidence would indeed suggest that at one time there was another child. And then there wasn't. So it goes.

		When is Honey Huan going to appear in one of the Duke2000 videos? -- Josh Frydman, London, England

		A timely inquiry. We have just posted The Official Announcement, which features the inimitable Honey Huan hosting the press conference announcing Duke's run for the White House. Ms. Huan is portrayed by actress Lauren Tom, who also played the role in the Broadway show, A Doonesbury Musical. You can view all 30 of the 3-D animated D2K videos in Duke's Video Dump.

		Now that Mark and Chase are splitting up, I'd love to see the Sunday strip again that was about the two of them at home, having dinner, sharing a glass of wine -- a normal couple. There was very little dialog and not really any "story", but the strip moved me so that I've remembered it all these years. Could you please dig it up? Thanks. -- Lucy Goszkowski, Annapolis, MD

		Consider it dug. Here's the 10-5-97 domestic bliss Sunday to which you refer. Good times...

		When Duke came out of his coma recently he was working as a lobbyist on K Street with his son, Earl. Where did Duke get a grown-up son? I clearly missed something. -- Alan A., Arcata, CA

		One snowy winter back in the mid-90s, Duke, inspired by the opportunity to take advantage of federal funds available for the purpose, made the improbable decision to turn his Colorado spread into a 24-bed orphanage. Naturally the undertaking, despite Honey's typically competent efforts as administrator, ended badly. But for Doonesbury readers there was an unexpected upside -- the addition of Earl to the cast, as depicted in this series.

		Can anyone explain to me why the U.S. President is represented by a floating, damaged, Roman legionnaire's helmet? -- Ron, Dublin, IRELAND

		During the first years of Dubya's presidency, the former governor of Texas was represented in the strip by a cowboy hat (as in, "all hat and no cattle") floating over an asterisk (referencing his contested ascension). With the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003, the commander in chief donned a more appropriate piece of headgear -- a Roman helmet, whose horsehair crest has, like his imperial presidency, deteriorated over the course of the war.

		I thought that all "real world" personalities used in Doonesbury were given icons, such as an asterisk, a giant hand, a waffle, a helmet and the like. Is your use of an "actual likeness" of Donald Trump a first? -- Mark, Toronto, CANADA

		Though a robust tradition of iconic representation has developed in the strip, it is by no means consistent or obligatory, and numerous public figures have been represented by more traditional means. Trump himself has made several previous appearances, including this February 1990 week of in-his-face strips.

		Mark and Chase are getting divorced? Whoa, I didn�t even know they were a couple. How did I miss that? Clearly there were some too subtle indicators that I glossed over. -- Bob M., Seattle, WA

		Some indicators are more subtle than others. Case in point, this relatively unsubtle series on Mark and Chase�s nuptials.

		The recent Garry Trudeau profile by Gene Weingarten in The Washington Post Magazine was generally pretty good, but the author slipped up on a detail. After noting that B.D. had hit on Celeste at the Vet Center, he claims that cheating on Boopsie "hasn't happened to our knowledge in 20-plus years of an eccentric but strong marriage." But what about Gulf War I, when B.D. hooked up with an officer on an R&R ship? -- Ron Telford, Philadelphia, PA

		Not to be Clintonesque, but said affair took place before B.D. and Boopsie's actual nuptials. On the other hand, it did occur -- and during the 20-plus years they've been together. Thank you for your attention to detail.

		Didn't Kim go to MIT, just like Alex? -- Pam D., Seattle, WA

		Yes. After Mike moved to Seattle and went to work at Bernie's Byte Shack, he began courting co-worker and future wife Kim Rosenthal. Kim's MIT experience came up in this early conversation, and then again, and then again later, as her step-daughter prepared for college.

		What's up with Ray suddenly being married again? After the first Gulf war, his wife left him, and when he returned to Iraq, he was talking about having been through two divorces in the intervening time and being glad to be back in uniform. There's been no mention of him going back to the States to get a new wife -- so when did he get married again? -- Susanna Thomas, Philadelphia, PA

		Vast portions of the Doonesbury universe remain mysterious, even to its creator. In regards to Ray's matrimonial vitae, here's one possible scenario: Post Gulf War I, after he and Tina divorced, Ray and May dated for a while but split up. Ray married someone else, but after that union dissolved, Ray and May got back together and subsequently married -- either before he deployed to Iraq, or while he was home on leave. We hasten to add that we in the FAQ conning tower just made that up, and other scenarios are equally plausible. The point is, Ray and May being married is not technically an inconsistency -- a huge category in Doonesbury. In any case, we appreciate the opportunity to focus on Mr. Hightower's past, and are pleased to share with you this 1991 series about his rough re-entry after GWI, and a series from 1993, at which point Ray and May were dating, and Ray and Des had begun sparring.

		The strip often refers to B.D.'s tour of duty in Vietnam, a war which ended before I was born. What actually happened to him over there? -- Gary B., Soquel, CA

		Although B.D. received purple hearts in both Vietnam and Iraq, his experience in regard to the former was significantly less traumatic than in regard to the latter, as this B.D. in Vietnam sampler shows. Younger readers may be surprised to learn that among the many hats Zonker has worn was one labeled "Press". Until recently, the former reporter himself was unfamiliar with this portion of his resume.

		This week's strips have been a minor revelation -- Mike Doonesbury has a mother? Who knew. Why haven't we heard about her before? -- E.A., Portland, OR

		Actually we have, though it's been a while since she made an appearance in the strip. In the interest of introducing relatively recent readers to a passel of Mike's Oklahoma kith and kin, here is a 1981-82 series in which he journeys home to The Sooner State, followed by a 1985 series in which The Widow Doonesbury testifies before Congress.

		The Straw Poll about Alex's college future was supposed to end at midnight, Monday 5-21. So what happened? Where's she going to school? -- G.J., Portland, OR

		Interesting question. Pull up a chair. The previous Straw Poll invited readers to choose among three academic futures for Alex Doonesbury: Should she go to Rensselaer, Cornell, or MIT? Voting was brisk. Wait, let us rephrase that: Voting was insane, rampant, ingenious, and impressively ruthless. An MIT student put up "Doonesbury Voting Hack", a web site (adorned with art borrowed from the Town Hall) which enabled would-be-ballot-stuffers to spew out over a million votes in a single night. "We're all running cgi hack scripts" lol'd one MIT blogger, "I've voted 3 or 4 thousand times!" Fortunately the prophylactic measures swiftly implemented by the DTH's crack tech crew kept most of the votes from making it into the poll. The idea of outing the main culprit was briefly considered (a 5'8", 115-lb. freshman from New York -- it's amazing what you can find out about a person online), but as he left a clear trail and probably didn't expect the hack to be as successful as it was, it seemed enough to deny the MIT network access to our servers. Besides, we had to take his thoughtfulness into account: "Please," he cautioned on the updated version of his hack site, "only keep one instance of the program running at a time so we don't kill the server again." Meanwhile Rensselaer had also stepped up to the plate -- or rather made their own attempt to move it. As campus blog entries indicate, token reservations were overcome ("It would be entirely unethical of me to stuff a ballot box, or suggest any others use the same, with command lines such as...") and a curl was disseminated, intended to accomplish pretty much what the MIT script had done using Flash. The Rensselaer effort was less successful -- still, several hundred thousand votes bounced off our servers. By the time a handful of indy hackers made their run at the Straw Poll, the ballot box was adequately unstuffable. Cornell blogage shows that students there were watching the fray ("Me thinks the site is being bombarded by a script war between Troy and Cambridge..."), but a higher, or more urgent, course was taken. ("We're at a disadvantage, because we've got finals now and presumably no one has the free time to write a Cornell spamming script.") The Cornell alumni office had early-on taken an above-board interest, alerting alums to the situation and urging them to vote, but this effort did not bring Cornellians to the poll in numbers sufficient for Big Red to catch up. "We're obviously not trying hard enough to cheat," lamented a dismayed blogger. However, students and alums managed to post many passionate, articulate, humorous, and convincing posts on our Blowback page, all making the case that Alex should head to Ithaca. In acknowledgement of this impressive and moving effort, the Doonesbury Town Hall is pleased to award Cornell the Doonesbury Straw Poll Congeniality Award. As for the question at hand -- Where will Alex go to school? -- the will, chutzpah, and bodacious craft of the voting public will be respected. A careful check of the applicable rulebook indicates that queering the results was not specifically prohibited. And by tradition, engineers, hackers and techfolk will assume that in a problem-solving situation of this nature, there is no box out of which they are not expected to climb. The Doonesbury Town Hall thanks all those who took the time and trouble to vote, even those who voted only once. Ms. Doonesbury will be attending MIT.

		The story of B.D.'s wounding and recovery has been fascinating to follow, and brings to mind, vaguely, the memory that his buddy Ray got blown up back in Gulf War I. Obviously Ray survived to serve in Iraq, but what exactly happened to him back then? -- C. Douglas, Wellington, NZ

		Almost twelve years before B.D. lost his leg in Iraq, he lost his first Humvee when the vehicle he and Ray Hightower were riding in was destroyed by an artillery shell. Ray's injury was serious enough to take him well out of the combat zone, but put him in psychological jeopardy by placing him under the jurisdiction of Navy morale officer Trip Tripler � former college roommate of Sal Doonesbury. We are pleased to present Ray's not-so-excellent adventure for you here.

		B.D.'s counselor, Elias, started out black. Now he's white. What gives? -- Terence, Paris, FRANCE

		Actually, Elias has always been Latino, born in Puerto Rico. The confusion is strictly the result of a technical problem. In the b&w dailies, a crosshatch pattern was used to indicate Elias' skin. The 2-19-06 Sunday strip shows the correct color tone. But when the dailies were colored at the syndicate for online posting, the combination of color and crosshatching made Elias too dark -- hence the confusion. The problem was recently addressed, and the Elias strips in the DTH archive have been corrected. We apologize for the cognitive dissonance.

		My friend insists Zonker started out in the strip as a football player, but I find this hard to believe. Is it true? -- Chris McVey, Sunnyvale, CA

		Yes. Zonker and B.D. first met on the gridiron in a clash of personalities which set the tone for their enduring love/hate relationship. We are pleased to post this initial sequence for your viewing pleasure - shamelessly taking advantage of your timely question to announce the kick-off of Dude: The Big Book of Zonker. Here's flap copy from this delightful compilation (longtime DTH visitors will recognize the voice of Duty Officer David Stanford): This breathtaking volume boldly, cheerfully, and blankly stares back across the stunningly copacetic life and times of Zonker Harris. From his Californian-American roots to his legendary status as surfer, nanny, and former sun god, his career trajectory has unfailingly carried him ever deeper into the homegrown heart of the American daydream. �I am but one dude.� -Zonker Harris In all the annals of disengagement, the name Zonker Harris stands nonpareil. For over three decades, Doonesbury's Prince of Inner Space has consistently upped the ante on mellow, proving there is far more slack in a dude than social scientists had previously imagined. Expanding on the legacy passed down from such unplugged progenitors as Maynard G. Krebs and Jughead, the Z-man added his own baked-in-the-'60s style of endearing cluelessness to the essential but underappreciated American tradition of laissez-faire. With uncompromising commitment to a life of flow, Zonker has served as a role model and inspiration for several generations of latter-day dudes, from Jeff Spicoli to his own nephew Zipper. Dubbed Walden's "Greatest Living Slacker" by his alma mater, Zonker has shown that winging it is a viable survival strategy, and has ever held true to his 'tude. As an undergraduate communard, he savored the natural glories of Walden Puddle (named as a tip of the visor to New England's founding chillhead). Now a professional nanny who took his charge surfing while still in diapers, Zonker Harris, man-child of the Golden West, continues to pass on the gentle wisdom of his kind.

		Is Ray Hightower's war blog for real? If so, what's the url? -- Barry G., Pittsburgh, PA

		Although Ray's blog, like Ray himself, only exists in the cartoon universe, we're happy to pass along links to MY WAR (which features a good collection of articles on "milbloggers"), LIFE IN THIS GIRL'S ARMY (which has links to other sites), plus THIS EXTENSIVE LIST of blogs.

		The therapists I work with, both OT and PT, have been enjoying the rehab-related strips about B.D.'s recovery, and they�re posted all over the department. We�d love to see a compilation of these strips in a book. You�re got the rehab thing down pat! I�m returning to active duty at Walter Reed to work as a PT with the troops going through amputation rehab, and hope to see more of B.D. as his rehab journey continues. -- Marilyn Rodgers, Reseda, CA

		We appreciate your timely query. As it happens, the Doonesbury book you request has recently been published by Andrews McMeel Universal. As their promotional materials explain: Thousands of U.S. soldiers have suffered grievous wounds in Iraq, and one of them happens to be a Doonesbury character. This special collection chronicles seven months of cutting-edge cartooning, during which B.D. and readers of the strip got an up-close schooling in a kind of personal transformation no one seeks. THE LONG ROAD HOME: One Step at a Time collects the first seven months of Doonesbury strips about B.D.'s journey. It follows him from Baghdad triage through hospital treatments, awkward visits from friends, agonizing exercise regimens and gatherings with his fellow amputees. It also depicts the anxiety of B.D.'s family members, who support him by staying at - Fisher House - an actual non-profit organization operated by Fisher House Foundation, which gives housing to families of soldiers receiving treatment at major military hospitals. Published at the request of Fisher House for patients and their caregivers, The Long Road Home is a tribute to soldiers. Here Trudeau sets aside politics and his opposition to the Iraq War to portray the immense impact combat has on an individual soldier's life. He researched the B.D. storyline at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he visited wounded soldiers and amputees. As Trudeau notes, "Whether you think we belong in Iraq or not, we can't tune it out; we have to remain mindful of the terrible losses that individual soldiers are suffering in our name." The Long Road Home includes a foreword by U.S. Senator John McCain, who writes: "Trudeau tells the story of B.D. - and the Fisher house - and he does it very, very well. Biting but never cynical, and often wickedly funny, these comic strips will make you laugh, reflect and - in the end - understand. Like B.D., the thousands of soldiers who have left their health or their limbs on the battlefield have done so in the service of all of us. These brave men and women astonish us all with their spirit. In sacrificing themselves, they sacrifice for us." Trudeau is donating all royalties from The Long Road Home's sale to the Fisher House Foundation. For more information on Fisher House, visit www.fisherhouse.org , call (800) 294-8560, or send email to info@fisherhouse.org . To read the New York Times review, click here

		Zonker has always been my favorite, but why is he mooching off B.D. and his family? I remember about 20 years ago or so, he won the lottery by buying one single ticket. I slacked off on my reading for a while back then, so I must have missed something. What happened to Zonker's millions? -- T. Fairchilds, Troy, Ohio

		Ultimately the bulk of Z's windfall went to rescuing Duke. While serving as president of Club Pre-Med, an offshore medical college, the former ambassador had been drugged, zombified, and sold into slavery. Functioning, barely, under the moniker 'Legume', he was working for Haiti's Former-President-for-Life Duvalier when Zonker purchased him after intense negotiations. The balance of Zonker's much-diminished fortune proved adequate for purchasing a slightly used British title from Lords-R-Us -- hence his transformation into Lord Zonker, Viscount St. Austell-in-the-Moor Biggleswade-Brixham.

		What�s that �Duke2000� DVD you�re promoting in the lower left hand corner? -- Stu Spencer, Portland, OR

		DUKE2000: Whatever It Takes is both an historic document and a piece of quality entertainment. Allow us to explain: Five years ago, Former Ambassador Duke launched his maverick "Whatever It Takes" campaign for the White House with this stirring declaration: " want to be the ferret in the pants of government."E-campaigning from his headquarters at the E-Z Rest Motor Lodge in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Duke set out to prove that an average citizen, with nothing more than a laptop, a few spam speeches, and a sack full of soft money, could make political history. His insurgent effort may one day win him a place in the history books. At this point we'll be just as happy if this freshly-minted disc wins a place on your shelf. It captures all the buzz and all the glory that was D2K, giving you unfettered access to over 90 minutes of the innovative 3-D animation that put the outspoken candidate live on "Larry King", "Today", and dozens of other shows. In over 30 short films, including "Healer-in-Chief", "Stirred, Not Shaken", "Forgotten White Guy", "Poodles" and "Apocalypse 2000" (with a Doors soundtrack), Duke manages to confound conventional wisdom on a dazzling array of topics. Visit his richly-textured website, recreated in its entirety, right down to Duke's full FBI file, position papers, photos, weblog, Oppo reports, and the "Me & Roger" radio interviews which ran on NPR during the final months of the campaign. From frontline wordplay to backroom gunplay, from breakout public policies to colorful public breakdowns, Duke made electoral politics fun again. Relive those halcyon days. To order DUKE2000: Whatever It Takes, CLICK HERE. To find out more about it, CLICK HERE.

		Who is 'Andrews,' the toady who has popped up in the strip lately. The only Andrews I can find in the guv-mint is Bob Andrews, a Congressman from New Jersey. He's certainly on the toady-ish side, but doesn't seem to wield the power of the guy portrayed in the recent strips. Is this a composite character, or is he meant to be a particular toad? -- Janet Hartwell

		Actually the recently-appointed Secretary of Toady Affairs is a recurring character who has built up quite a dossier in the strip -- including his role as the Universal Petroleum exec who hired Duke to parachute into Iran in 1979. Both his likeness and his name (and the petroleum company's name) are tributes to GBT's first editor, the late Jim Andrews, who was co-founder, along with John McMeel, of Universal Press Syndicate. Doonesbury was their first syndicated feature.

		Is it true that Duke represents Hunter S. Thompson? How long has he been appearing in the strip? -- K. T., Baltimore, MD Wasn't the character Duke based on the writer Hunter S. Thompson? If so, does Thompson's death mean Duke will kill himself too? -- Paul, NY, NY

		The late Hunter S. Thompson was indeed the initial inspiration for Doonesbury's Uncle Duke, who FIRST APPEARED IN THE STRIP in this July 1974 series. Their paths diverged as Duke took on a life of his own, and over the decades his ever-evolving career has differed dramatically from that of HST. These links from the early years sample high and lowpoints of his stints as GOVERNOR, AMBASSADOR , PUBLIC SPEAKER and LOBBYIST. The Town Hall respectfully raises a hefty tumbler to Hunter S. Thompson, a powerfully innovative and influential journalist and writer whose voice will be missed. Here are links to Tom Wolfe's Wall Street Journal essay on Thompson, which likens him to Mark Twain, a San Francisco Chronicle article which highlights his political acumen, and a piece by Larry Kramer on editing his column.

		I read that Trudeau did some strips on John Kerry and Vietnam back in the early days. Could you please post them on the site, to give those of us who weren't around at the time a look? -- Jane E., Portland, OR

		It is our pleasure to help candidate Kerry flesh out his campaign bio. The future-senator spoke at Walden College on behalf of Vietnam Veterans Against the War in a three-day series that ran on October 21, 1971, October 22, 1971 and October 23, 1971.

		According to Zonker in the 1-13-04 "mail silo" strip, Trudeau has killed off four characters so far. Who were they? -- David B., Oak Hill, WV

		Avid birder Dick Davenport passed away in 1986 during a moment of triumph, having finally spotted the rare Bachman's Warbler. Andy Lippincott died of AIDS in 1990 while fulfilling his dream of hearing "Pet Sounds" on CD. Succumbing to Alzheimer's, Congresswoman Lacey Davenport was escorted Heavenward by her dear departed in 1998. In the wake of Phil Slackmeyer's offstage demise in 2002, son Mark had difficulty rounding up mourners for the funeral.

		I was surprised to see a California recall poll that shows Zonker doing very well. Is he running for governor after all? I thought he missed the filing deadline? -- T. Runyan, Firebaugh, CA

		Zonker's enthusiastically-intended candidacy was indeed cut short by a technicality But this poll confirms your report, and may indicate that Zonker retains strong write-in support. If Californians want a non-groping, ex-surfing nanny as their next governor, Zonker is their man.

		Why isn't Phred listed in the Cast Bios? Nadia, Ithaca, NY

		He is now, as are Jeff Redfern and President King. These three new character profiles bring the total to 27 -- all freshly updated, and all accompanied by new color portraits. Please feel free to upgrade your knowledge of THE CAST, then visit CASTMASTER 4.0 and test your mettle by tackling the new cast trivia quiz.

		I absolutely can't find the strip where Mark's dad dies! Would you please supply a corpse and a few last words of deathless prose? -- Paul C., Germantown, MD Mark's relationship with his father as depicted in the strip was pretty solid stuff. I'm disappointed we didn't get to see a final moment between the two of them. -- Adam K. Lewisburg, PA

		Unlike the deaths of Lacey Davenport, Dick Davenport and Andy Lippincott, Phil Slackmeyer's actual demise was not depicted in the strip. For months the strips about his illness suggested that his end was coming, but readers were only made aware of the loss on April 8, 2002, when Mark began trying to round up mourners. The week-long series was concluded with the April 14th Sunday strip depicting the funeral itself. There was no special reason for omitting the actual moment of death other than the literary convention of only telling parts of a story and letting the reader imagine the rest.

		When did Dubya first appear in the strip? -- Mike C., Sydney, Australia

		Then-president George H.W. Bush's son was first referenced on August 18, 1988, during the Republican National Convention. He was first depicted as a point of light on January 30, 1994.

		Didn't Mark Slackmeyer used to be Jewish? Why was his father's funeral on Saturday? Jews don't bury people on Shabbos. -- David Harris, Garrison, NY Phil Slackimeyer has even been seen wearing a kippah (yarmulke). Why was his funeral presided over by the Rev. Sloan, a Protestant clergyman? -- Burt U., Cambridge, MA

		There is a two-part explanation. The first part involves Mark, whose friendship with Rev. Scot Sloan probably comprises the sum total of his affiliation with organized religion. It would be understandable for Mark to call on Sloan to put together a service -- his difficulty in recruiting mourners suggesting that Phil did not regularly attend temple either. The second part of the explanation is more embarrassing. The concluding episode, the actual service -- was on a Sunday (not Saturday, as suggested above). Sunday episodes are created six weeks in advance, as opposed to daily strips, done ten days prior to publication. At the time the funeral episode was drawn, the artist's plan had been to explain in the dailies that Phil had managed to alienate even his rabbi, necessitating the services of the way ecumenical Sloan. Unfortunately, four weeks later, when it came time to draw the prequel, GBT forgot to include the explanation. Readers -- particularly Jewish readers -- were right to express outrage over his carelessness.

On whom is the character "Professor Charlie Green" from November 1971 based?
-- Michael G., St. Paul, MN

The character was inspired by Charles Reich, a Yale law professor whose much-discussed 1970 bestseller The Greening of America: How the Youth Revolution Is Trying to Make America Livable attempted to explain the "New Consciousness" of the counterculture.

What is Joanie Caucus' mother's name? I'm desperately searching for the answer for a trivia contest.
-- Katrina, Ligonier, IN

Louisa. The Denver resident first met her future son-in-law when she arrived unexpectedly at Joanie and Rick's door to help with their impending nuptials.

Who's that little guy inside Duke's head? What is Duke's state of consciousness on those unpredictable occasions when he shows up?
-- Beth O'Connor, Iowa City, IA

Mini-D, Duke's inner grown-up, is the former ambassador's state of consciousness when he pops up and assumes command.

Would you please refresh my memory regarding the names of the various kids in Doonesbury? I can't keep them straight. And is B.D. and Boopsie's child a girl? Thanks!
-- L. Harris, Princeton, NJ

The core second-generation Doonesbury cast consists of two boys and two girls, the latter both running under unisex nicknames. Mike and J.J.'s daughter is Alex, Boopsie and B.D.'s daughter is Sam (short for Samantha), Joanie and Rick's son is Jeff, and Duke's son is Earl.

I am totally thrown by this strange new character who showed up on 11-9-01. He looks like a shaved Rick Redfern but is trying to converse in Spanish with members of the Northern Alliance. What's his story?
-- Zan O., New York, NY

Agent Havoc made his first appearance in the strip on August 25th, 1986, when he and other "company" men set off for Nicaragua to aid the Contras in their CIA - backed attempt to overthrow the Sandanista government.

		Are J.J. and Jeff half or full siblings? Joanie is attending J.J.'s wedding, and she's obviously Jeff's mother, but is Rick J.J.'s father? If not, who is? -- Evay, NY, NY

		Joanie Caucus left J.J.'s father, Clinton, when she came to live at Walden Commune. Mother and daughter were later re-united. Joanie and Rick were married in 1981, and have one son, Jeff, who is J.J.'s half brother.

		Who is that guy in the strip of June 26, 2000? -- Allison, CA

		That would be Jeffrey Redfern, son of Joanie and Rick. It may be the new haircut that threw you. Don't worry, his own parents don't recognize him either.

I downloaded an MP3 of "Ginny's Song," but I can't seem to get all the words.
What are the full lyrics?
-- Jake Delhue, Monroe, Alabama

GINNY'S SONG

People say my lovin' is slowin' up your show
Well, all I can say is, baby,
It's hard to keep my profile low
People say, "If you love her,
Step back, and let her shine,"
I can only do harm
With an uncommon karma like mine

So - I'm caught in a one-sided love affair
Trapped by a love for someone who won't care
And I'm lost and alone in a one-sided love affair.

People say you're hazy
On issues you just guess
Well, just like those people, baby,
I'm tired of doin' more with less
People say, "If you love her,
Don't ever let it show,"
So I'm stuck in this groove
When I'd much rather move with the flow

So - I'm caught in a one-sided love affair
Trapped by a love for someone who won't care
Though you speak very highly of me
Both the Post and the Times would agree
That I'm lost and alone in a one-sided love affair

I'll carry any banner you want
I'll advance any race you choose
But there's no sense in bein' alone
Should you happen to lose.

So - I'm caught in a one-sided love affair
Trapped by a love for someone who won't care
Caught in a one-sided love affair
Trapped by a love for someone who won't care...

(c1977 Walden West Music Inc.)

Doonesbury had a character by the name of Josh Lyman who worked in the White House, and now there is a character with that name on the TV show "West Wing". What is the connection?
-- Susan Blair, Orinda, CA

Is there a connection between the character Josh Lyman in the strip and the character Josh Lyman on "The West Wing"? Coincidence or what!
-- Andi W., Philadelphia, PA

So is the character from the TV show West Wing "borrowed" from you 2/22/87 strip? It can't be a coincidence, can it?
-- Angie Rhoades, Seattle

"The West Wing" (has) a staffer named Josh Lyman as seen in this strip. "The West Wing" is a quality program, but it may be because it borrowed from a quality source
-- Adam Kraman

GBT has no inside information on the Josh Lyman connection, which appears to be a pleasing instance of art imitating art. Like other discerning viewers, he has noted the framed Doonesbury strips on the wall of the "West Wing" set.

		What are those little sparkles around Duke's head? --Bill, Pittsburgh, PA

		The decorated ambience that sometimes accompanies Duke suggests that his state has somehow been altered.

		So far you have "resurrected" two deceased personalities: Bill Casey and Elvis Presley. Am I missing any others? --Zack Budryk, Richmond, VA

		No, except for the fictional characters. Lacey Davenport used to converse with her deceased husband, Dick. And Joanie was visited by Andy Lippincott after he died of AIDS.

		I read about Duke's presidential campaign in the August 2000 issue of WIRED. How's it going? Does he have a prayer? --E. Inness, Galesburg, IL

		The 3-D streaming-animation version of Ambassador Duke has appeared on "Larry King Live," "Today," and "The Charlie Rose Show," and has conducted over 60 live interviews with local news programs via satellite. His campaign Web site offers over an hour of video, audio interviews with Time's Roger Rosenblatt, a rich collection of the candidate's Rants, a full bio (in the form of his FBI file), Honey's weekly campaign log, a "mudline" featuring negative sound bites from his opponents, an online store filled with quality campaign collectibles, and numerous other features. Dbury@Sbucks recently released a set of "Duke for Prez" products - poster, coffee mug, tumbler, coasters, deck of cards -- charity fundraiser items which can be purchased via www.starbucks.com. A new video, "West Wing", was put up on Friday, November 10th. The final D2K campaign video - "Apocalypse 2000" - will be posted November 15th.

		Will Duke's hair ever grow back or has it already? It's hard to tell. --Steve Folio, Lawrenceville, GA

		As Duke (aka "Legume") recovered from zombiehood, his fringe and combover fully recovered.

		In Doonesbury Nation Zonker says he can't believe it's been 25 years since Woodstock (implying he was there). Later you find out he just saw the movie and didn't go there. Why not? Zonker was the all-time hippie. Where was he? --Jeremy, Spencertown, NY

		The difficulty you are having with Zonker's story might best be explained by the saying "If you can remember the 60s, you weren't really there." Zonker was there.

		Why did you choose a scumbag like Hunter S. Thompson to iconize in your strip? --Charles Alverson, Parage, YU

		Thompson is not an icon in the strip, but was rather the inspiration for the character of Duke, a scumbag.

		I seem to remember J.J. and Honey were roommates at Georgetown, but when they met years later on Donald Trump�s yacht they didn�t know each other. Why not? --Neil Keegan, NYC

		Congratulations. You have nailed the most glaring inconsistency in the Doonesbury chronology -- apart from the tendency of the characters to age at different rates

		How is Zonker related to Zipper? --E.B., Franklin, ME

		Actually GBT hadn't thought this through. Here's what he came up with: Zipper is the son of Zonker's half-sister Zelda, the product of his father's first marriage, to a Bay Area astrologer (currently a licensed aromatherapist). Zipper grew up with his mother in Oakland, while Zonker was raised in Malibu.

		When is Jimmy Thudpucker going to get back into the studio and/or on the concert tour road? --David Torrence, Madison, OH.

		Funny you should ask. Jimmy will be going back into the studio shortly -- with results available for downloading right here at the Doonesbury Town Hall. Stay tuned. (Note: �Too Poor�, the song referred to above, was recorded by Thudpucker as an anthem for the October, 1999 NetAid project. Rough tracks and weekly diary entries were posted on the Web site as the song evolved, and the final mix and video were Web-only releases. The song, along with other Thudpucker hits, can currently be downloaded at THE MUSIC.)

		Is Boopsie's agent, Sid, the only Jewish character in Doonesbury? --Gabe W., Philadelphia, PA

		Nope. There are others, including Mark and Phil Slackmeyer, Marcia and Bernie.

		Any possibility of Mike and Kim expanding the Doonesbury family? --Lori Coleman, Enid, OK

		Like Mike (Jordan), we never say never, but probably the last thing the strip needs at this point is another character, even a small one. As it is, even the Doonesbury professionals here at the Town Hall have trouble keeping all the characters straight.

		Ever since you broke up the lead couple, I've been obsessed with the idea of your bringing them back together. Is the possibility of Mike and J.J. ever getting re-married realistic? --Amy Schwarzkopf, Mukilteo, WA

		The strip has occasionally strayed beyond the bounds of the realistic, but it's worth noting that neither Mike nor J.J. seem to share your obsession at this point.

		Who are Ellie and Howie? --Ross Chandler, Rocky Mount, NC

		After leaving her first husband, Joanie Caucus moved into Walden Commune and got a job at the Walden Daycare Center. Ellie and Howie were two of her charges--and were particularly thrilled when she was accepted into law school

		Who is Jeff? What is his relationship to J.J.?

		Jeff is Joanie Caucus and Rick Redfern's son. His half-sister J.J. is Joanie's daughter from her first marriage.

		What is/was Honey's connection to Duke?

		Honey Huan was assigned as translator to Duke when he was U.S. ambassador to China. She later came to the U.S. as a foreign exchange student, re-joined Duke, and has remained with him as business associate/love slave ever since.

		How old is Earl, Duke's son?

		Nobody knows, least of all his father, who alternately pegs him at 12 or 14. Of course, Earl's mother might have a clue, but since we still don't have a positive ID on her, her input is unavailable. There was some confusion about Earl's age because a Sunday strip seemed to depict him as taller than readers remembered him. This was actually a problem of relative size, as Duke was sitting down, and Earl was standing next to the much younger children he had recruited for his trailer park day care.

		Is the future Mrs. Doonesbury the same Kim who first appeared in the strip as a Vietnamese war orphan in 1975?

		Yes. She was adopted by the Rosenthals of Santa Monica, California. After a few series of strips about her baby years, Kim disappeared from Doonesbury until she became a National Merit Scholar in high school.

		I'm told that Lacey Davenport was modeled on a real U.S. Congresswoman. Which one? --Dan J., New York, NY

		You're probably thinking of the late Millicent Fenwick, but the truth is, Lacey wasn't actually modeled on anyone. Lacey arrived in Congress two years before Mrs. Fenwick did, but the similarities seemed too distinctive to be coincidental. Indeed, so many people assumed Lacey was Millicent, it seemed ungallant to deny it.

		What does Mr. Butts do with his free time? --Todd Y., Charlottesvile, VA

		Like the rest of the characters in Doonesbury, Mr. Butts has no free time. When not being featured in the strip, all characters are expected to be developing future storylines--generating research, establishing P.O.V., co-ordinating values, writing punchlines, etc.

		Just how old is Joanie Caucus supposed to be anyway? How could she be old enough to be J.J.'s mother, yet still young enough to have given birth to Jeff in the 80s? Was she a child bride the first time around, or has she not aged in years? --Sharon B., Chicago, IL

		According to her application to law school, Joanie was born on July 21, 1935, which would make her a well-preserved 62 in July. J.J. was a sophomore in 1980, so she would have been born around 1961, when Joanie was 26; Jeff was born in 1982, in which year Joanie would have been 47. All feasible. Of course, this is a strip where the principal characters were originally frozen in time, attending college for 12 years, and then permitted to age in real time after 1983. Looking for chronological consistency in Doonesbury is not very productive.

		Given that his schemes invariably fail, where does Duke get the money to buy tons of cannabis? --Liz W., Sheffield, U.K.

		Duke buys on credit, which also explains why he moves around so much.

		Why haven't you done that much with Phred? He started out as a supporting character, but his personality is perfect for a comic strip, especially yours. ----Abraham E., Chicago, IL

		Faithful readers of Doonesbury will recognize the above queries as coming from an occasional reader. Phred returned returned in March 1999 during a five-week sequence about B.D.'s return to Vietnam. He now works as one of Vietnam's numerous "directors"--essentially, well-connected facilitators who enable foreign businesses to get established. One of the many pies Phred has his thumb in belongs to Nike, currently under attack from, among others, Kim (no relation to Phred).

		Roland Hedley is reminiscent of a Vietnam-era Dan Rather. Any connection between the bumbling, tragicomic cartoon character and the bumbling, tragicomic news anchor? ---Ed B., Richmond, VA

		No. Roland's grandiose, abrasive personality owes more to Sam Donaldson than Dan Rather, although Roland first appeared in the strip as a print reporter. The one Rather-inspired moment came in the early '80s, when Roland (but not his camera crew) dressed up in colorful native garb to report from Afghanistan.

		Are we ever going to find out Zonker�s middle name? --Will A., St. Mary's City, MD

		Yes, in 1983. It was during the formal reading of the names of degree recipients that Zonker's friends first learned that his full name was Edgar Zonker Harris.

		What's up with Mike's little bro? I haven't seen him lately. --Karl J., Camp Lester, Okinawa, Japan

		Benjamin Doonesbury (a.k.a. Sal Putrid) still works as regional sales manager at Dr. Whoopie, Inc.

		Has Duke ever been through rehab? --Larry T., Pasadena, CA

		Serious questions only, please.

		Trudeau says Mike is based on him, but I don't think so. I heard Mike is based on Trudeau's college roommate, Charlie Pillsbury. True? --Patrick D., New Haven, CT

		Partially. Like most characters in fiction, Mike Doonesbury is a composite. Borrowed from Pillsbury were his good heart, his occasional cluelessness, and the last two syllables of his name.

		How and when did Zonker become part of the Royal Family? --Patrick D., New Haven, CT

		Zonker is not part of the Royal Family, but rather a titled member of the British aristocracy. In 1986, after winning a lottery, Zonker bought the Viscountcy St. Austell-in-the-Moor Biggleswade-Brixham from a New York peerage broker for $17,000.

		Is Duke's kid really Duke's flesh and blood? Or did the former ambassador just pick him up at the orphanage? --Ted M., Granada Hills, CA

		While the identity of his mother is still unclear, Earl's father is definitely Duke. Paternity was established by Honey, who took the liberty of removing a wart from Duke while the latter was unconscious and sending it off for DNA analysis

		Over the years, there have been several mentions of a Bart (or Barry) Svigals in the strip, sometimes in the context of the annual letters-to-the-characters strips. Is Bart/Barry a real person? --James L., New Haven, CT

		Phillip (Barry) Svigals was a college roommate of GBT in the late '60s. They still speak.

		Who was the character who graduated from Colorado College? --Matt T., Colorado Springs, CO

		Joanie Caucus, who received her B.A. in 1956. Last spring, when GBT gave the commencement address at CC, he was presented with her diploma.

		I've noticed a strange similarity between the faces of ex-congresswoman Davenport and the homeless woman Alice. Are they related? --Ben B., Los Alamos, NM

		No, although Lacey, in her creeping dementia, is fully persuaded that Alice is her deceased sister, Pearl. One reader has suggested that the physical resemblance is the artist's comment on our common humanity and the quirks of fate that separate one life's outcome from another's. While an appealing supposition, it gives GBT too much credit.

		So what is the deal on Zonker's sexual orientation? --Mark M., Germany

		TBA. We're working on this in focus groups.

		Has Zonker given up smoking marijuana? --Nick L., London, England

		As most readers know, the use of controlled substances by characters is strictly forbidden of the Commissioner of Comics. It is a rule that Duke obviously flaunts with abandon, but since there is little discernible difference between Zonker stoned and Zonker unstoned, officials have been uable to determine whether he is currently complying.

		Did Zonker ever have a real job? Not babysitting or something. --George Schenk, Rotterdam, Netherlands

		Through the years, Zonker has held a number of jobs -- mailman, bartender, Lt. Governor of Samoa -- but it is as a child care professional that he made his mark. Without his "babysitting", Zonker's employer, Boopsie, would herself be forced to find a real job

		Whatever happened to Duke's wife Sandy? I think the last we heard of her, he forgot her when he went to Samoa. Could he still be married? --Gary, Redwood City, CA

		Sometime during Duke's road years (1974-1977), Sandy left Duke and moved out of their Aspen house. The divorce was finalized in 1978. Sandy has not appeared in the strip since.

		Is Zonker based on Charles Cohen, a former Yale classmate of GBT who is now a history professor? Zonker and Cohen have a remarkably similar faces. ---R.S. King, New York, NY

		There is no specific model for Zonker, although the name came from one of the hipsters described in Tom Wolfe's "The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test."

		Where did the name Walden come from? Is there any link with the commune Walden that was established by the Dutch writer/world improver Frederik van Eeden in the last century? --Minus van Baalen, Paris, France

		Only if van Eeden was inspired by the American writer/ world improver Henry David Thoreau, who spent two years living on Walden Pond, near Concord, Massachusetts, an experience which yielded his meditative masterwork "Walden" (available 144 years later from Amazon.com).

		Is Bernie still a werewolf? If so, has he been the victim of any anti-werewolf discrimination in his business activities? --Ronald Byrd, Sherwood, AR

		Bernie was never technically a werewolf- he simply experimented with biomorphic agents. Years later, he used that experience to develop some of the first morphing software, the royalties from which made him a wealthy man. Of course, had Bernie been a true werewolf, it is unlikely he would have been discriminated against in the computer industry, where uncouth, primitive, voracious behavior is the norm.